Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the hyped stage musical directed by Julie Taymor (The Lion King) with music and lyrics courtesy of U2's Bono and TheEdge, will kick off what its producers hope will be an amazing run along the Great White Way beginning with previews on Jan. 16, 2010, and a Feb. 18, 2010, opening night.

The $40 million effort, reportedly the most expensive Broadway production ever, will make its debut in the Hilton Theatre, the only venue big enough to allow the superhero room to spin his way around the sprawling skyscraper sets while duking it out with various bad guys.

Spider-Man's book is written by Glen Berger, and Taymor and will follow the classic origin story (nerdy Peter Parker gets bitten by radioactive spider and becomes a crimefighter). No word yet on casting or which villains Spider-Man will face off against.

Initially rehearsals for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, whose name derives from one of its songs, were slated for the spring. But the creative team has now opted instead to workshop the musical in the summer and push back rehearsals until the fall.

Your information may be shared with other NBCUniversal businesses and used to better tailor our services and advertising to you. For more details about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy. If you are located outside of the U.S., your information may be transferred to, processed and used in the U.S.